Merit Scholarship

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
41

<p>1,000,000-taxes = 450,000</p>

<p>minus Duke-level college tuition for four = 200,000</p>

<p>Granted, living in Orange County is expensive - but I think in context, your education will be well worth it.</p>

<p>I know it's a lot of money. It absolutely is. But in context, I really do think your education will be worthwhile.</p>

<p>And to reemphasize, our nationally based merit scholarships usually go to students who have conducted high-level research as undergrads. Not just to kids with strong board scores and such.</p>

42

<p>If your parents make a million a year they were presumably saving something?</p>

43

<p>Thanks, bluedevilmike, but I was WL'd by Dook last year. I'm currently a first year at UVA.</p>

44

<p>Oh, nice. Well then, we would've overlapped by a year.</p>

<p>Sounds like our loss. Have fun there - they say yours is the only campus that can rival ours for beauty...</p>

45

<p>Meh, it's no biggie. I wouldn't been able to attend, anyway - - I was thoroughly owned by the financial aid process.</p>

<p>Oh, and I believe UVA is the only college campus in the world to be designated a UN World Heritage site :) .</p>

46

<p>pri - I know a good college education can be expensive, but you have no reason to complain. Really - a million dollars per year? That's an awful lot of money even if it does finance 4 college degress. Try living on food stamps.</p>

47

<p>i received the robertson scholarship</p>

<p>i dont think anyone should be upset that they didnt get a merit scholarship. robertson accounts for 18 of the 50 they gave and its based off of leadership and ethics, as well as academics. from what i noticed, most of the roberton scholars started their own programs, activities, etc and basically took initiative to change their community.</p>

48

<p>hey guys,
I hope I don't sound like one of those people who doesn't understand what it's like to live on food stamps, because trust me, I've had to. I understand. I was just saying that 45,000 a year is a lot of money, and it bites not to get aid.</p>

49

<p>i know a bunch of scholars (not just ABs) and all of them are very sociable. plus, i've only heard people discussing about merit scholarships maybe once or twice in my freshman year at duke. what alexatduke have said here are all based on silly stereotypes. do you really want to judge people you don't know based on what others think, especially since they don't even know that many scholars to begin with?</p>

50

<p>I understand - didn't mean to sound condescending or anything. I have several friends on food stamps and well, just wanted to offer a new perspective.</p>

<p>Have you written to the fin aid dept? You could explain special circumstances (such as the 4 students in college) and ask them to re-evaluate your packet if you feel that it is necessary. The people at the fin aid dept are extremely nice and are always willing to help.</p>

51

<p>
[quote]
i know a bunch of scholars (not just ABs) and all of them are very sociable. plus, i've only heard people discussing about merit scholarships maybe once or twice in my freshman year at duke. what alexatduke have said here are all based on silly stereotypes. do you really want to judge people you don't know based on what others think, especially since they don't even know that many scholars to begin with?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>As a graduating senior I have known many scholars throughout my years here because I've taken some challenging courses, which they are more apt to take. And I've just happened to know the more "mainstream" ones through friends and stuff. I know over half the Robertsons in my grade, and a few BN's . . . so it's not a stereotype . . . it's based on four years of experience knowing all types of people including scholars. Second semester sophomore year I had a class with an AB who started the semester out as your typical AB know-it-all and then by March she wasn't even in class anymore . . . we were all confused but then I found out later she's left school because of "psychiatric problems." Last I heard she was still not in school anywhere and is not doing well. Anyway, it's experiences like those, along with becoming familiar with the general reputation of the different scholars and seeing those "stereotypes" actually playing out before my eyes. In general it's like, BN, Robertson, University, and then AB in order of "coolness" . . . I know it sounds superficial but that's just their general reputation whether any of us likes it or not.</p>

<p>Even if AB's are sociable and don't fit the "arrogant" stereotype, they just have a (justifiable, in my opinion and 4 years of experience) reputation for not being involved in mainstream campus life and activities. DukeEgr listed the DCU president and the founder of PiKap . . . neither of which help the reputation AB's. Elliott - yes, definitely helps. Stephen Miller - no, definitely does not help.</p>

52

<p>
[quote]
Have you written to the fin aid dept? You could explain special circumstances (such as the 4 students in college) and ask them to re-evaluate your packet if you feel that it is necessary. The people at the fin aid dept are extremely nice and are always willing to help.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You could try that but making a million dollars a year and expecting financial aid, no matter what your circumstances, is a losing battle.</p>

53

<p>I can see how the selection process for the merits, and especially ABs would be conducive to picking students more prone to...how shall I say, overburden. However, in reference to ABs, this is more a function of visibility more than anything. An AB runnning into trouble at Duke is something that is more liable to be noticed because ABs are generally made to succeed by people in the faculty, the administration and OUSF. But, there are typically 10-15 ABs every year and the fact that you didn't have a class with one (that you knew of) until your sophomore year is testament to the fact that there are many "closet" ABs. Because of the reputation that they have gotten (as you have quite clearly written about), there are many incoming ABs who choose to keep their scholarship status under wraps. I can personally vouch for this after having talked to several ABs myself and asking them how their status and the expectations imposed on them affect their social and academic lives at Duke. Nobody will dispute that much of the faculty is informed about those with the AB scholarship, but the choice to gloat about or even divulge this fact is completely up to each AB. Many of them choose to do so, because they want that special status at Duke that they gave up (probably) going to HYPMS (and many, many others) for. I would say that in order to fully experience the rich educational experience available at Duke without ego and expectations getting in the way, discretion is the better option.</p>

54

<p>

erm...I will. Not like there's a newsletter or a special sticker on the class roster or anything.</p>

55

<p>for me, the choice was between Brown and Duke.. money was the main factor, and at brown I was 1/43 national scholars, so I got a lot of money in grant form.. duke's FA was all loans.</p>

56

<p>Someone pointed me to this page (I'm Elliott, the dude mentioned in a number of the posts on this thread) and I wanted to set a few things straight: </p>

<p>-Regarding merit scholarships at Duke, probably the reason why alexatduke or others have pegged us as "inactive" is that most don't know who the ABs are. I didn't tell anyone, and the <em>only</em> reason that it came out publicly was that when I was adjudicated by the University and The Chronicle reported that I might lose my scholarship, which would mean I'd have to leave Duke. There are 50 or so of us (ABs alone, not counting the other merit scholars) on campus and we're all over the place with regard to our activities and involvement and chances are any random person at Duke probably couldn't name more than a handful of ABs and other scholarship recipients off the top of their head, if that. The Robertsons, the BNs and the reggies all have websites and facebook groups that list the current scholars....we have nothing of that sort. The one facebook group that I'm a member of is "A.B.s getting ass on the regular," which was made as a joke about those of us with "overactive" social lives. </p>

<p>Unfortunatley some of the more "active" people who do spout their scholarship status are some of the more-oddballs among us (I'll admit it, there are some) so that's where the perception may come from. As an AB though, I'd say I've never heard of any of us having to withdraw from Duke for medical reasons, etc. At the end of the day, my friend group is mostly centered in The Chronicle staff and other groups with which I've been involved with. As for Achil, I think I know who he is and we were somewhat dissapointed as his perception of us and the weekend (and I see where it may come from), but it's not in any way accurate. We made 21 offers and got 15 acceptances, which is great considering that almost all of the finalists got into HYPMS with really good aid at each. </p>

<p>-We are very active in many things, including student groups, research and community service. The thing is though that we're not resume builders...that's why we interview the AB finalists---we want to not only make sure they did what they wrote on their apps, but that they did it because they actually give a *<strong><em>. I'm the first AB DSG president (I think, and first rising junior since 1976) and I ran simply because I got so *</em></strong>ed off at just how disfunctional and ineffective the organization was; I've never held a student government position before in my life and am quite proud of that fact. I was also almost suspended by the University (it was an interesting story...nothing crazy/destructive/dangerous/evil)..so I'm not out to necessarily be "friendly" to the administration. Also, someone mentioned that the head of the Duke Conservative Union was an AB (which is true--John Korman, ABD '06, and quite a "reclusive" ABD at that), but that is <em>not</em> Stephen Miller...he's the head of Students for Academic Freedom. </p>

<p>-The AB is the greatest deal ever because we can choose how much or how little we want to be involved in the "community" and we have no real obligations. We're let loose on the campus to do whatever it is we will do, provided we keep a relatively modest GPA. We can take the Oxford trip if we want to (which is ***<em>ing awesome and open to anyone at duke. Check out the pics at <a href="http://elliott.dorm.duke.edu/Pics/2005.07.OXFORD/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://elliott.dorm.duke.edu/Pics/2005.07.OXFORD/&lt;/a&gt;). While the robs and the BNs get more summer support (the robs especially get a ridiculous computer allowance), we have almost total freedom and we're not pidgeonholed as *anything.</em> I wouldn't want it any other way. </p>

<p>-I drink and have a life (see the oxford pics :) )</p>

<p>-The faculty don't know about it necessarily. The thing is though, we are invited to a number of big events where a lot of faculty are present (founder's day, a number of picnics, etc) but we can go or not go to whatever we want. Usually, an AB can get into a class that's full by playing the AB "card," but we almost <em>never</em> do that (I've thought about it, but never done it). We kind of a have a foot in every door at Duke, but how we make us of that is totally up to us.</p>

<p>Elliott Wolf (Duke '08)
<a href="mailto:egw4@duke.edu">egw4@duke.edu</a></p>

57

<p>My kid is thinking seriously applying to Duke? he attends a northeast prep school on full fin aid and has received a $175,000 scholarship for high school for four years. He loved duke as he was there one summer. Asian kid.</p>

<p>How active is the republican club?</p>

<p>Since fin aid is very important considertaion to us so we want to know about the endowment for duke. Also how is duke History/economics/political scince/International relation departments. Thanks for your help.</p>

<p>my email is <a href="mailto:collgein07@yahoo.com">collgein07@yahoo.com</a></p>

<p>Thnaks</p>

58

<p>Actually, I posted a billboard with Elliott's face, name, and AB status with text underneath - MISSING: Pratt Student; Last seen running up the hill to the Chronicle Office. Wanted for Crimes Against Insanity.</p>

59

<p>I am an ABD finalist. Please tell me what exactly happens on the finalist weekend coz I am really anxious and I just wanna know! No one I know can tell me abt these kinda things. I mean, what kinda clothes should I take? Will there be a fancy dinner? Scary interview?
Thanks yawl!!!</p>

60

<p>^ This thread isn’t the place to ask that, seeing as it’s from 2006. Make a new one lol.</p>